pcoutu

Hey y'all!

I'm currently about 3 months out from my first long (30 days) backpacking trip in Europe. Actually, it's my first time backpacking period. I should probably specify that by backpacking, I mean that I'll only be taking a single, carry-on sized backpack. So far, I've narrowed it down to about 4 packs, but reviews on a couple of the bags are few and far between, while the reviews on some of the other bags seem somewhat biased. I'm just wondering if anybody has any experience with the bags, or has a better understanding of what to look for in the reviews on them, and give a more concise, relevant opinion about them.

The bags I'm currently considering are:
1) Pacsafe Venturesafe 45l GII (love the clean, minimalist aesthetics, size, and security features)
2) Arc'teryx Covert Case C/O (similar to the one above, but lacks the security features and waist belt)
3) Tortuga V2(heard really good things about this one, but it seems bulky(wide) and looks to have too many extra pockets)
4) Minaal Travel Backpack(a little on the smaller side, but seems to have a smart design and again, love the minimalist look)

Also, I'd like some general advice on travel within Europe. I spent about 2 weeks in Italy about 2 years ago, but that was in a completely different situation, in terms of the type of trip that it was. I'm finding it hard to research and plan for this trip, just because the scope of it is so large, and I'm not really sure where to start. The intent of the trip is to basically see as many different places within Europe, so that I end up with a better idea of the places that I'd like to explore on future trips. I'll list my itinerary as it stands below.

Flying into Amsterdam, Netherlands(2-3 days)
Brussels, Belgium(2-3 days)
Paris, France(2-3 days)
Interlaken, Switzerland(2-3 days)
Venice, Italy(2-3 days)
Vienna, Austria(2-3 days)
Budapest, Hungary(2-3 days)
Prague, Czech Republic(2-3 days)
Berlin, Germany(2-3 days)
Coppenhagen, Denmark(2-3 days)
Stockholm, Sweden(2-3 days)
Flying out of Oslo, Norway(2-3 days)

The plan is to stay 2 days in each of these main locations , which would leave me about 5 flexible days for possible day trips/ the addition of another location or two. I'm also planning on taking as many night trains as possible to cut down on wasted travel time, as well as save some money on accommodations.

Anyway, any advice and/or suggestions are much appreciated!

nytraveler

Have you checked if they meet the airline size requirements for a carry-on? You're not planning on checking it are you?

Also what about a day pack while you are in various cities? You certainly don;t want to haul everything about with you all the time.

Kathie

When you say 2-3 days in a place, how much time will you really have? It takes three nights in a place to have two full days. You says you have 30 days, but you have listed 12 places - way too much for 30 days on the ground. You have forgotten to account for travel time. It will take at least half a day, usually more, to get from place to place. You have to consider the time from when you check out of your accommodations in one city until you check in at the next.

Some cutting of destinations will give you more time to explore and experience. Others your backpacking trip will be a tour of trains and train stations - not what I expect you had in mind.

Kathie

PS fewer destinations will also save you money.

pcoutu

No, I definitely don't want to be checking the bag in, and I may be looking into some of the budget airlines over there, so carry-on size is certainly a must have feature for the bag I pick. All 4 of the listed bags are said to meet carry-on dimensions, and I've been able to find reports on all of them fitting without trouble, except the Pacsafe, which is mainly due to a lack of reviews.

Yeah, I won't be carrying my main bag around with me, except for to and from train stations/airports and hostels. As of right now I have a collapsible daypack that I'll bring with me for day-to-day stuff. Although, I really doubt I'll have much on my person while exploring that won't fit in my pockets.

pcoutu

@Kathie

I guess I'm being a little optimistic in being able to catch late/night trains from one location to the next. Basically, what I'm wanting to do is have an entire day plus the majority of the following day to explore, before boarding a train for the next city.

I completely understand what you're saying though. It's just so hard to cut out any of these locations from my itinerary. This may be one of my last chances to get away for an extended period of time (more than 2 weeks), so I really want to try to pack as much in as possible, that way I can utilize my travel time in the future in the places that I found to be most intriguing.

Jean

Don't rely on manufacturers' claim of "carry-on size." Verify dimensional limits on each airline.

I couldn't find specs on the Minaal bag, so I don't know how it compares to the other three.

As you noted, the Arc'teryx doesn't have a waist belt. That means the entire weight of the pack and contents will be on your shoulders. That will feel OK for about 10 minutes. It also has 200-300 cu. in. less capacity than the Pacsafe and the Tortuga. The Pacsafe has the largest capacity of the three.

I think you have too many destinations, but then I don't like the "tasting menu" travel concept. Two to three days in small towns can work for me, but in big cities I need a minimum of 4 days.

FYI, your train travel times:

Amsterdam to Brussels 2 hours
Brussels to Paris 1+ hours
Paris to Interlaken 5 hours
Interlaken to Venice 7 hours
Venice to Vienna 8+ hours
Budapest to Prague 7 hours
Prague to Berlin 5 hours
Berlin to Copenhagen 7 hours
Copehagen to Stockholm 5 hours
Stockholm to Oslo 6 hours

pcoutu

@Jean

I've seen some stories about manufacturer's claims about carry-on size being misleading, which is what is keeping me away from the Pacsafe right now, but the others all have confirmation of fitting on multiple airlines from what I've read. You also hit the nail on the head about what's keeping me from committing to the Arc'teryx, which may be crossed of the list now.

I really appreciate the time you took to put together those travel times. I'll be copying those down in my notebook for reference as I continue to do my research. That gives me a better idea of how to plan out some of the trip.

Mrs_Wilde

Although I didn't end up with any of the packs you listed I thought I would mention Osprey backpacks. After researching backpacks quite extensively last year I bought an Osprey Farpoint 40.

I wanted a pack with a sturdy waist belt and sternum strap. The pack was easy to lock as the zipper loops crisscross. Another thing that influenced my decision was the Osprey comes in two sizes - important for me because I am short and the S/M was perfect; it sat perfectly on my hips. I often forgot it was even on as we walked around. If you want to carry it like a suitcase you can enclose the straps within a zip liner. I zipped my straps and carried it like a suitcase when we got on the plane as it was easier to stash in the overhead without the straps dangling (also has two handles that help with this). When we landed I carried it like a suitcase off the plane, stopped in the terminal to unzip the handles, tucked the liner and off I went.

I flew Ryanair with this pack and although it is slightly over their maximum size limit it fit in the sizing cubicles because it doesn't have a rigid frame and the pack has compression straps inside and outside that really helped to cinch the whole pack in. It came with a shoulder strap that I never used. There is also a padded laptop compartment if you need that (I didn't).

As far as help with your itinerary - yikes, that's a lot of moving around. I couldn't do it but more power to you if you can. For solid train information look up the Man in Seat 61.

I have only been to two places on your list and that's Amsterdam and Prague. I found Schiphol airport a great place to fly into because it's close to Amsterdam so there's not a long stretch of time getting from the airport into the city. Loved the vibe in Amsterdam; a great strolling city.

We only visited Prague as a day trip from Germany but wished we could have stayed for a few days. A lovely French man on the tour who helpfully translated for us said certain parts of Prague reminded him of the older parts of Paris. Make sure you get in to see St. Vitus Cathedral and walk across the Charles Bridge (the statues were in restoration when we were there but I imagine they are finished by now).

Good luck with your trip! I hope you find a good backpack.

pcoutu

@Mrs_Wilde

Thank you so much for your input! My girlfriend is going with me as well, and she has the Osprey Farpoint 40. I do really like that pack as well, but there's just something about having matching packs that is pushing me away from it. I know she loves it, and I've seen many good reviews on it. I may just have to get over myself and take it back into consideration.

Honestly, it may end up that we get a little burnt out as the trip goes along, but this is meant to be a flexible trip so if we need to knock off a few of the locations as we go, that's always an option.

I just took a look at the Man in Seat 61 site, and wow, what a great resource! I've already bookmarked it, and will be referring to it over the coming months.

I've heard similar experiences with Amsterdam and Prague from other people, and I believe those will be definite stops for us.

Thank you again for the information!

Sassafrass

If you are taking the bag only from airport to hotel/hostel and from hotel to train station, not in the wilderness hiking and camping, then a wheeled light weight carryon might do you just as well and it would sure be easier to pull through airports and train stations and down the isles of trains than the backpack.

Check out some of the transportation options and time needed to get from your lodging in one place to your lodging in the next. Check to see if there even are night trains between some of your places. Even short flights will require security and check-in time.

A fast paced week or two may be fine, but over a whole month, your trip may turn into kind of a blur that will leave you unable to know if you like a place enough to return or not.

bvlenci

In my experience, spending just two days in a city, especially a large city like Paris, is likely to result in feeling that you don't like it very much. Nearly everyone who goes to Paris wants to see Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, and maybe a day trip to Versailles. If they go for a short time, they just cram the same amount of things into the time available. However, all those places are absolutely heaving with tourists, so they spend almost their entire time shoulder-to-shoulder with fellow tourists.

If you have only a short time in a city, I urge you to skip some of the big top ten "must-sees". Instead, search out the hidden gems and spend at least half your time in places that don't attract many tourists. You'll end up liking the place better, and increase the chances you'll want to return (at least to see the things you skipped!)

You may find budget airline flights will be a better way to get from place to place in many cases. I use www.skyscanner.net to find cheap flights in Europe. Also, many rail companies have very cheap fares for advance purchase. These tickets are often cast in stone, so, while they can save you a lot of money, they add inflexibility to your itinerary.

bvlenci

I meant to add that you should do some research before buying a rail pass. Compare them to the cost of cheap flights and discounts for advance purchase on rail lines. (You didn't say you wanted a rail pass, but many backpackers using trains think that's the best option without comparing prices.)

pcoutu

@Sassafrass
I've considered looking into some of the smaller wheeled carry-ons, but I took a wheeled case with me to Italy and it was less than ideal. With stairs, crowds, and cobblestones, the convenience of being able to roll it around comfortably was severely handicapped. Also, depending on how our scheduling works out and whether or not we decide to do some spontaneous trips, we could get stuck hauling the bags around for a day or two. I may look into some of the convertible type bags that have a wheeled and backpack option though. Thank you for the suggestion!

I think you're 100% right about needing to properly research the availability of the trains at the times that I would prefer. I believe I'll start on that project ASAP.

@bvlenci
I think that's a very smart suggestion. Obviously, we'd like to see as many of the well-known attractions and museums as we can, but I can certainly understand how that could give the wrong impression of a place when that's all that you see. Neither of us is terribly interested in art, although we do love history, so some of the museums can probably be passed up without too much fuss. We tend to prefer to roam around and explore the less obvious parts of a city anyway.

I've been reading up a little on the usefulness of a rail pass. It seems that, as of now, the rail pass may typically be a bit more expensive than point-to-point tickets, but they do provide more flexibility. Since we are planning on (hopefully) taking a few night trains, it seems like the rail pass may not be entirely worth it for us, as the rail passes don't cover them, or apparently French or Italian trains either. We'll definitely look into some of the budget flights on skyscanner, thank you for the link!

yorkshire

Is there a store nearby where you can try these packs out, or are you buying online? It is helpful to try them on, but from somewhere like zappos you can return for free.
The belts are an important feature, as is a rain guard (but you can buy a rain guard, they scrunch up nicely). I would not recommend buying one with out a belt if you value your back.
More than one external pocket usually a waste. Separate compartments for shoes are nice.

bvlenci

The rail passes do cover Italian trains, but for most of the trains you have to purchase a reservation, which is not included with the pass. I live in Italy, and I can tell you that here no rail pass would pay off.

I've read that in France, the passes can't be used on all trains.

I don't think rail passes are any more flexible than buying tickets at the station when you're ready to travel. The only reason I could see for using them would be to save money.

thursdaysd

These days I travel with a wheeled bag, but even when I traveled with a backpack (from Eagle Creek) I checked it, and took the important stuff (pharma and electronics) on board in my day bag. That way I didn't have to worry about it fitting, or with hauling it around airports.

Check the EMPTY weight of anything you're considering. Do not buy a bag without a GOOD hip belt. I would not buy a hybrid, that's just extra weight when it's being a backpack.

You are not going on a backpacking trip. You are going on a forced march, aka a tour. This is the kind of itinerary bus tours come up with. You need to figure out what you want to see in these places and adjust your time accordingly. There is no way Brussels rates the same amount of time as Paris. Also, you need to allow a little downtime in the middle of the trip to rest up and do some resupply.

Jean

"Also, you need to allow a little downtime in the middle of the trip to rest up and do some resupply."

Not to mention laundry...

thursdaysd

Not laundry, necessarily. I do it in the bathroom sink every couple of nights. I only take clothes that drip dry fast.

pcoutu

@yorkshire
Unfortunately, there aren't really any good luggage stores around, and all of the outdoors stores only really carry the full-fledged hiking packs. I'll be sure to order whichever pack I decide on from a site with a good return policy though, just in case. Thank you for the tip!

@thursdaysd
Hmm, I guess I'll have to decide on which hassle I'd rather deal with more, in terms of checking the bag vs. hauling it around. Thank you for the advice on the hybrid bags!

Also, after taking into consideration everyone's input on the itinerary, we're looking at dropping Interlaken and Vienna, which would give us a few extra days to spend elsewhere, and cut down on travel time/accommodations. We're really trying to make this as much of a tour of Europe as possible, but we still want it to be enjoyable and memorable.